Mike West Elected Chairman of the Board at Snowsports Industries America

Snowsports Industry Association (SIA) has welcomed 4 new members and a new Chairman, 686’s Mike West, to their Board. The new appointees will aid SIA in the continuation of industry innovation to poise the snow industry in the best possible position to support and encourage future generations. 

Michael West, the founder of 686 technical apparel in 1992, was elected as Chair of SIA’s Board of Directors. West has co-founded and owned several other lifestyle businesses in the outdoor, action, digital, and logistics industries, including New Balance Numeric, Maekan, Matix, Westwell, and NRI Distribution. He is also an Adjunct Professor at USC Marshall Business School.

“My first introduction with SIA was in 1993, one year after I started 686. We were young, driven, yet had no industry experience. In fact, we had to sneak into the show and the North Hall in Vegas where all the action was. We couldn’t afford to have a booth, so we walked the aisles and handed out our Kinko’s copied catalogues. Fast forward three decades later and several rotations around the sun, I was invited to the SIA Board of Directors and now serve as Chair. Since then, I’ve been privileged to work alongside talented industry leaders, resorts and retailers within the winter outdoor industry. My Northstar for SIA is to serve the membership and continually evolve the association well into the future,” states West.

Alongside a new Chairman, SIA has also appointed 4 new members to the Board, including: Jonathan Degenhardt, Deuter/Ortovox USA; Matt Gold, Christy Sports; Melanie Hood, Scarpa North America; and Issa Sawabini, Fuse.